Your UHS Pharmacy: A resource for good health

UHS offers wide-ranging pharmacy services for people throughout the Southern Tier, at locations that are convenient to your home or work. The sites are also close to the UHS hospitals and providers’ offices you may use most often. What’s more, today’s modern pharmacy is part of the complete lineup of services designed around your lifestyle, medical needs and goals for health and wellness.

UHS pharmacies have what is called an open formulary, which means most commonly used medications are available, with next-day access to other items through UHS’ pharmacy wholesaler. The pharmacy typically can turn around a prescription in 30 minutes or less for patients leaving a physician appointment, those being discharged after a hospital stay or those with other acute needs.

Patients can be alerted that their prescriptions are ready by automated phone call or, if enrolled, via notification from UHS’ MyChart. If you aren’t enrolled in MyChart, click here to learn more and enroll today. For less common medication needs, UHS offers an in-house or on-site Specialty Pharmacy Service for individuals who need unique but critical medications not typically available at a retail pharmacy. UHS pharmacies process all insurance plans, and can assist patients with access to financial assistance if needed, even when they have insurance but the cost of a medication is too excessive.

UHS currently has six retail pharmacy locations across the Southern Tier, click here to learn more.

UHS Pharmacy Endicott, at 1302 E. Main St.; UHS Pharmacy Wilson Place, at 52 Harrison St. in Johnson City; UHS Pharmacy Summit Building, 33 Mitchell Ave. in Binghamton, Suite 108; UHS Pharmacy Vestal, at 4417 Vestal Parkway East; UHS Specialty Pharmacy, inside UHS Binghamton General Hospital, at 10-42 Mitchell Ave. in Binghamton; and the Delaware Valley Hospital Community Pharmacy, at 121 Stockton Ave. in Walton.

UHS has four outpatient pharmacies using the PharmASSIST pharmacy automation and workflow platform; two sites with robotic dispensing systems and two with cabinet-based dispensing automation. The dispensing equipment was invented and manufactured by the Johnson City-based company Innovation. The cabinets provide counting accuracy, prevent unauthorized access, eliminate cross-contamination and prevent dispensing of expired medications. In addition, this automation interfaces with the UHS Epic electronic medical record system, so all UHS pharmacists can view and offer pharmacy services at the highest level of patient care in the area.

Among the newer services offered by the UHS Pharmacy Department are three types of vaccine. For example, are you due for a flu, COVID-19 or Shingrix (shingles) vaccine? You can now schedule an appointment online. The UHS Specialty Retail Rx Vaccine Clinic is located at UHS Binghamton General Hospital, Krembs Building, first floor. There are designated 15-minute parking spaces available. If you have questions, call the clinic at 607-422-3846. These are the only vaccines offered at this time. Click here to schedule a vaccination now.

The retail pharmacies offer convenience by saving you time, which gets you home faster, with complete services on-site; quick and efficient turnaround time when processing; and personalized service with many internal cost-saving programs. UHS pharmacies accept all major insurance plans, are open to the general public, dispense all categories of prescription drugs and have access to a broad range of specialty drugs.

Specialty Pharmacy services on-site at UHS Binghamton General offer the high-cost drugs needed to treat complex disease states upon referral by a medical specialist.

The UHS Wilson Place Pharmacy offers retail pharmacy services to the public around-the-clock. The Wilson Place location is the closest 24-hour pharmacy to UHS Hospitals and Lourdes Hospital, making it helpful for patients who are leaving one of the emergency rooms or being discharged after hours and in need of a prescription.

William Waldron, RPH, MHA, community practice director of the UHS Pharmacy Department, said: “This allows us to offer necessary services to more people in the community, to outpatients and to hospital patients who are being discharged, no matter what time they’re ready to go home.” Located on the ground floor of 52 Harrison St. in Johnson City, the pharmacy is just across the street from UHS Wilson Medical Center. Parking is available nearby, and, for additional ease and convenience, two dedicated pharmacy customer parking spots will debut in the near future.

The UHS Retail Pharmacy at UHS Binghamton General Hospital is located in the Summit Building, at 33 Mitchell Ave. in Binghamton, just across the street from the main entrance to UHS Binghamton General. It is open from Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on Saturday and Sunday, from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Four designated parking spaces are available in the adjacent lot for pharmacy patrons.

The full-service pharmacy accepts prescriptions from any provider. In addition, for one-stop-shopping convenience, it stocks the top 100 most-requested over-the-counter items, so patrons can pick up cough drops, aspirin or other needed items when picking up a prescription.

Pharmacies are an important component of overall care today, providing additional access to services and better outcomes for patients. Pharmacy Services at UHS ensures that patients have the kind of medication support they need to cope with their diagnoses and treatment plans. UHS Pharmacies support this concept across the entire continuum of care around the clock.

“One of our goals is to keep patients out of the emergency room,” Mr. Waldron said. “A top reason for readmissions to the hospital is a lack of knowledge about medications. Access to needed medications is essential. Pharmacist-supervised drug reconciliation and patient education play a huge role in medication compliance and patient success. Our outpatient pharmacies are integral to this support, from start to finish.”